The Temple of Love in the gardens of Versailles
The Temple of Love is a neo-classical temple in the English Gardens at Versailles, erected for Marie Antoinette. The Queen preferred the more “natural” style of the fashionable English gardens, as opposed to the French order imposed upon meticulous greenhouses and manicured garden beds, which you can see in the rest of the gardens. You could lose hours in the seemingly never-ending gardens of Versailles. … Continue reading The Temple of Love in the gardens of Versailles
The Best Places to Visit in South Australia
South Australia is one of the best travel destinations in Australia for travellers looking for something a little off the tourist trail. The southern state is home to Australia’s best wine regions, including the Barossa Valley, the only Dark Sky Reserve in Australia for perfect stargazing, and the vast deserts of the Australian outback. I’ve been to South Australia multiple times and am always amazed … Continue reading The Best Places to Visit in South Australia
5 Tips for Travelling with Your Best Friend…and Staying Friends
If I had a dollar for every time someone warned me that travelling with a friend is the fastest way to end a friendship, I would be writing this blog post from Paris. Continue reading 5 Tips for Travelling with Your Best Friend…and Staying Friends
3 Reasons I Didn’t Ride a Donkey in Santorini
I chose not to ride a donkey in Santorini for three reasons. I had two before I arrived in Greece, but I found another heartbreaking reason when I was cruising between the islands. 1. Donkey rides in Santorini are tourist traps. I was already sceptical about the authenticity of a donkey ride in Santorini. I’d read online that locals view it as a bizarre activity … Continue reading 3 Reasons I Didn’t Ride a Donkey in Santorini
Is Athens Safe for Tourists?
Riots in Athens were on the news almost every day leading up to my first trip Greece, and I started to get nervous. I started to worry about whether Athens was safe, and found that lots of other travellers wondered the same thing. On my first trip in 2013, I had two nights in Athens either side of visiting the Greek islands. My first impressions … Continue reading Is Athens Safe for Tourists?
Hahndorf: A German Village in the Adelaide Hills
The pretty village of Hahndorf is small slice of 19th century Germany, tucked away in the Adelaide Hills. Just a 30-minute drive from Adelaide’s city centre, visiting Hahndorf is like briefly stepping back in time, and off the continent. In July 2021, we were lucky enough to time our postponed South Australia trip in the 10 days between Melbourne’s two long lockdowns. At the time, … Continue reading Hahndorf: A German Village in the Adelaide Hills
In Bloom: Ballarat Begonia Festival
Spring is in full bloom in Melbourne, which reminded me of the radiant beauty of the Ballarat Begonia Festival, which David & I stumbled upon back in April of this year. Over the Easter long weekend, David & I spent the weekend in Hamilton in the Southern Grampians. A spontaneous stop in Ballarat on the long drive home delivered one of the most beautiful moments … Continue reading In Bloom: Ballarat Begonia Festival
The Wanderbug Bites: October 2021
This is something new I’m trying, since I unceremoniously dumped my New York City Life series after moving back to Australia (and I haven’t even posted my final NYC Life post – I think I’m still in denial that its over). I wanted to find a way to share more in real time (or close to it), and round up interesting travel news, openings and … Continue reading The Wanderbug Bites: October 2021
Burleigh Beach: The Best Beach on the Gold Coast
Burleigh Beach is my favourite beach on the Gold Coast – ask most locals, and they’d likely agree. Most tourists still flock to Surfers, although Burleigh is booming these days, the once sleepy little beach ‘burb still has easygoing charm to go with its extraordinary natural beauty. With a wide, deep beach of soft white spend, not a speck of litter in sight and sweeping … Continue reading Burleigh Beach: The Best Beach on the Gold Coast
Rural Australian landscapes in the Grampians
It was so gratifying to be on a road trip over the Easter weekend. David and I went to the Southern Grampians, a rural area four hours’ west of Melbourne. I’ll share a post about the trip soon, but tonight I just wanted to share some of my favourite photos from this beautiful region. I purposefully didn’t do too much in-depth research before the trip … Continue reading Rural Australian landscapes in the Grampians